Sunday Drive: New Car Reviews
By BJ Killeen
2018 Volkswagen Atlas: Can it Compete in a Crowded Segment?
In this industry, every manufacturer has its turn at the
top, and also at the bottom. Audi fought unintended acceleration, Hyundai dealt
with overstating fuel economy, Ford had the Firestone fiasco, and Volkswagen’s
pit is the diesel dilemma. The truth is, however, each manufacturer, once at
the bottom, has nowhere else to go but up. Audi recovered and is selling outstanding
vehicles, Hyundai is producing new and exciting models, and Ford is moving
forward with a renewed focus on mobility. Volkswagen, too, is climbing up
again, this time with an entirely new vehicle that will garner the company more
share in a popular division: midsize SUVs.
The 201 VW Atlas is the biggest, boldest VW every made in
America (Chattanooga, Tennessee), and the company has done a good job figuring
out how to appeal to those looking for modern design, plenty of
room/versatility, and decent power. The Atlas is based on VW’s MQB
architecture, which underpins the Mk 7 Golf vehicles, and will soon be under
the new Tiguan crossover. It’s a solid platform that can be modified to suit a
variety of vehicles. In this iteration, it is the basis for a big (198.3-inch)
SUV that can carry up to seven passengers in three rows.
There are five trim levels of the Atlas: S, SE, SE with
Technology, SEL, and SEL Premium, starting at $30,500 for an S model with an
inline four-cylinder, and topping out at $48,490 for an SEL Premium with the V6
engine.
If the Atlas looks familiar, it’s because you might remember
it as the CrossBlue Concept vehicle from the 2013 auto show circuit. VW did a
good job maintaining the look of the concept. The Atlas has a clean overall
appearance, with just a hint of performance evidenced by the large wheel arches
front and rear. Even though it’s a big vehicle, VW states that it has a 0.34
Cd, which means it’s fairly slippery through the air for its size. LED lighting
is standard on all trims, and for all light sources front and rear. Even the
wheels and tires — standard 18s on all but the SEL Premium that gets 20s — are
large and fit nicely in the wheelwells; nothing worse than a big vehicle that’s
woefully under-tired. Lest you think that the Atlas is just another pretty
face, VW made sure it could handle the dirt trails by delivering 8 inches of
ground clearance, and departure angles of 20.4 and 22.2 degrees front and rear.
Inside, the Atlas is Volkswagen all the way, meaning
high-quality materials and fit and finish, but sometimes feeling a bit cold. Some
love that in German cars; all business, and in good order. Would be nice if VW went just a little crazy
once and threw a curve with something unique in the dash area. We do, however,
love the use of the flat-bottom steering wheel. Always one of our favorite VW
features. You would also never call VW seats extremely comfortable, again a
personal preference, but they are supportive. When it comes to seats, there are
plenty of them: the second row comes standard as a bench seat with a 60/40
split. It’s easy to tilt and slide the seat forward to make getting into the
third row easy. The second-row bench seats also recline for maximum passenger
comfort. For those who don’t need three in the second row, captain’s chairs are
optional on SE and above models. These also fold flat for expanded cargo space.
The third row seats two, and also folds 50/50 for flat cargo capacity. Cloth
seats are standard; move to the SE and you get leatherette and a second-row
middle armrest with cupholders. Jump to the SEL Premium and real leather
seating is standard, along with heated outboard second-row seats.
All the required amenities are there: 12-volt and USB
powerpoints, plenty of drink holders, and lots of available storage pockets and
bins. For the serious storage, cargo volume is 96.8/55.5/20.6 with all seats
folded/behind second row/behind third row. This beats the Ford Explorer, long
the benchmark in the industry.
In addition, the S base model comes with a nice list of
features, such as cruise control, 6.5-inch color touchscreen, voice controls
and Bluetooth, roof rails, and power mirrors. There’s a special-edition Launch
Model S that, for an extra $2,000 on the V6 model, adds a Panoramic sunroof and
an 8-inch center touchscreen with HD and satellite radio. The SEL Premium V6
top of the line, which is the model we tested around the Hill Country of
Boerne, Texas, is loaded to the gills with items like keyless access with
pushbutton start, 3-zone automatic climate control, power heated seats, power
liftgate with Easy Open, a 480-watt Fender audio system (darn impressive
sound), all the driver-assist features like Blind Spot Monitor with Rear
Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control, Park Distance Control, and more.
We love that you can connect to the Atlas via your Apple
Watch using VW’s Car-Net connectivity system. There are three levels of
subscription-based packages, depending on just how connected you want to be to
your ride.
Speaking of being connected, how does the Atlas connect to
the driving experience? It all starts with two engine offerings: a 2.0-liter I4
turbo that makes 235 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, or a 3.6-liter VR6 engine with
276 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. Both are paired to a smooth-shifting 8-speed
automatic transmission. While the output of both vehicles is more than
adequate, there are a lot of competitors with more power (Explorer, Grand
Cherokee, Acadia, etc.), albeit with less fuel efficiency. And speaking of fuel
economy, the Atlas in front-drive trim has an EPA estimate of 18/25/20, and
17/23/19 for all-wheel drive.
VW also offers its 4Motion AWD system on V6 trims only. The
4Motion AWD system has always been one of the best in the industry. It’s always
active, and features electronic differential locks to transfer power side to
side when needed, along with the ability to send up to 50 % of torque to the
rear wheels when needed. There are four drive modes: Onroad, Snow, Offroad, and
Custom Offroad, and inside the Onroad mode, there are another four settings of
Normal, Sport, and Individual. These modes change the engine, transmission and
steering parameters to jive with road conditions. We played with the system a
little bit, but since our driving was mostly on highway roads, we didn’t get a
chance to experience the Snow or Offroad settings. We changed from Normal to
Sport to Eco, and you could feel the difference in throttle mapping and
transmission shift points. Since we didn’t traverse any dusty roads, we have
enough confidence in the 4Motion system to say that the Atlas should have no
problem tackling anything other than a 10-rated trail.
Our takeaway from the short time we spent with the Atlas is
that VW created a well-built, competent SUV that is a strong contender in the
segment. We do think that VW will have a bit of a battle trying to get
loyalists out of their established Ford Explorer, Honda Pilots, and Toyota
Highlanders to try the Atlas, but VW owners easily should fall in line to get
one.
Photography © Team Killeen and courtesy of Volkswagen of America.
2018 Volkswagen Atlas: Can it Compete in a Crowded Segment?
